Draft RIS3 confirms highways focus on maintenance and supporting transport integration

The Department for Transport has unveiled the draft of RIS3, the third Road Investment Strategy, setting out the government’s vision and proposed £25bn funding allocation for England’s motorways and trunk A roads over the 2026-2031 period. This compares to a funding allocation of £27.4bn in RIS2

Publication of RIS3 follows a one-year £4.8bn interim settlement for 2025-26, and aims to reestablish the stability provided by the two previous five-year funding agreements first introduced in 2015.

The draft document confirms a much-expected focus on maintenance and renewals. It states, “RIS3 will have a far greater focus than earlier RISs on the maintenance and renewal of the existing network.” It states, “a significant part of the SRN is now 50 years or older, was designed to operate in a more benign climates and carry less traffic. As the asset ages, it will need increased maintenance and renewals to remain in a safe, serviceable condition to meet current and future needs.”

The draft RIS 3 also signals the government’s intention to develop a more integrated transport system, aligning with the developing Integrated National Transport Strategy. In this regard the report states that investment should “support integration with the local road network, as well as promoting modal choice for long distance journeys, and support active travel and public transport provision for shorter journeys.”

The strategy also obliges National Highways to “invest in construction materials that accelerate the construction industry towards decarbonisation by 2040” and apply design principles that will “ensure materials can be reused or recycled at the end of their life”.

Transport secretary, Heidi Alexander said, “Safety, customer service and delivery will remain the cornerstones of the way the SRN is managed. RIS3 will also build on work started in RIS2 to ensure that through a long term focus on maintenance and renewals, the network remains safe and fit for the future.”

Aside from core infrastructure management, RIS3 outlines the continuation of ring-fenced Designated Funds introduced in previous strategies, which support broader objectives like environmental mitigation, safety innovations and improved local accessibility. The government is however reviewing these funds’ role and considering establishing new national programmes for better monitoring and delivery of projects connected to safety and environmental commitments.

The report also reinforces collaboration with Transport Focus, whose insights into road user priorities have shaped the strategy’s focus on critical performance areas such as safety enhancements, network reliability and environmental impacts.

In response to the draft strategy, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said, “The cancellation of some major road projects appears to be the reason why funding for the next Road Investment Strategy has reduced, and only time will tell what impact this has on congestion and driver satisfaction. Tackling well-known pinch points on the network is now more important than ever to improve journey times.

“It’s particularly welcome that National Highways is being told by the Government to proactively manage its network through the use of preventative maintenance techniques, keeping roads in better condition for longer.”